Polls have opened in Uganda, though voting has been disrupted by widespread logistical delays across the country amid an internet shutdown.
At 08:00 local time (05:00 GMT), the BBC observed that voting had yet to begin at five polling stations in the capital, Kampala, an hour after polls were due to open.
The delays have been blamed on failures of biometric identification kits, which some have linked to the network outage.
President Yoweri Museveni, 81, who has ruled the country for nearly four decades, is seeking a seventh term as he faces a challenge from a charismatic pop star.
The poll is essentially a two-horse race between Museveni and singer-turned-politician Bobi Wine, but given the president has won the six previous elections, analysts say he is likely to further extend his time in power.
Wine, 43, has promised to tackle corruption and impose sweeping reforms, while Museveni argues he is the sole guarantor of stability and progress in the country.
The campaign period has been marred by the disruption of opposition activities – security forces have been accused of assaulting and detaining Wine’s supporters.
Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke has dismissed these complaints, accusing opposition supporters, particularly those belonging to Wine’s National Unity Platform (NUP) party, of being disruptive.
Internet access had been suspended ahead of voting day, with Uganda’s Communications Commission saying a blackout was necessary to prevent misinformation, fraud and the incitement of violence – a move condemned by the UN human rights office as “deeply worrying”.
The NUP has rejected this explanation, accusing the regulator of trying to stop the opposition from mobilising and sharing evidence of election fraud.
